As the year draws to a close, it’s often a time for reflection:
“What were your organisation’s successes?”, “What might have been done better?”
Whilst it’s important to learn from the past, this year Worklogic has been encouraging organisations to get proactive about “people risk”.
So, in our final newsletter for 2011, instead of dwelling on “the ghosts of Christmas past”, we list below our ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2012!
- Effective workplace policies are a fundamental cornerstone of HR best practice. If your policies are not comprehensive, up to date and clear, then you potentially have a problem. Review your policies on a regular basis throughout 2012 in order to capture legislative changes.
- How engaging is your staff training? Of course staff must receive regular training about their behavioural obligations in the workplace. But is it engaging, challenging and most importantly, is it memorable? If you are still delivering “Death by PowerPoint”, that’s not healthy. Why not opt for something more stimulating and effective. Think outside the square with how you design and deliver your next training about “people risk”.
- Use your January to catch up on all those tasks that have been languishing in your “to do” pile. Cathartically tick them off your list as you complete them.
- Schedule in some fun during 2012. “All work and no play” increases stress levels, leading to overwork, and the risk of people behaving badly in the workplace. So why not organise some social activities for your staff and take a break from work together? Productivity, task focus and collegiality will all benefit. Nothing too complicated, maybe offer staff an after work trip to the movies? Or a regular lunch in or outside the office? How about a staff book-club or a workplace book exchange? Start up a walking or running group? Voluntary work and fund raising activities are rewarding of themselves. When these are supported by an employer they can really increase team bonding and wellbeing.
- Denial is not a river in Africa. Are you sufficiently alert to staff concerns and have processes in place that enable staff to raise concerns – is there any “white noise”? For example, does your workplace have an employee reporting line that enables people to confidentially report concerning behaviour? If so, think about setting one up – like Worklogic’s Integrity Line for example!
- What is the state of your complaint resolution processes? Does everyone know about what their options are if experiencing unacceptable workplace behaviour? Do they know who to go to discuss their concerns? Develop a clear process for managing complaints. Make sure that staff know to whom they can report their concerns, and that such concerns will be responded to in a timely manner.
- Consultation is king. Take steps to foster a team environment where staff can share and provide their thoughts and ideas about workplace improvements on a regular basis. Do staff have an open communication line to management to ask questions, discuss issues and raise concerns? Consider feedback received from staff, and act on any suggestions that have merit.
- Offer training to all new managers.While this sounds simple, so often we see new managers who are struggling to effectively manage people because they don’t have the requisite skills or experience. Longevity in a business does not necessarily equip people for the transition from employee to manager! Managers should be supported in their roles with effective and periodic training around how to deal with a workplace issue that has arisen. Managers who are conducting performance management processes should also be trained to avoid any misunderstandings about the process.
- Don’t leave people in the dark. Communicate with your staff regularly. Let them know about developments that affect them. Provide them with constructive feedback about their work. Celebrate your successes. Acknowledging individual and team achievements is fundamental for team morale and productivity.
- Make it your goal, if it isn’t already, to be an employer of choice
